Barack Obama Elected POTUS

Never did I think I'd see this day. I was prepared for this election to be stolen with all of the reports of faulty touch screen voting machines.

A Black man and his family in the White House. Amazing. It's really empowering to know that we can now honestly tell young Black children that they can be president. This is so surreal. I'm speechless and all cried out over this joyous moment.

See you at the inauguration :-)

Obama's DNC Speech

Although I won't be voting for Obama, I'm very proud of this moment in Black History. I never thought I'd live to see this day. Ever. Much props on this great speech.

Michael Moore Keeps It Real

How The Democrats Can Blow It ...In Six Easy Steps
A blueprint for losing the most winnable presidential election in American history
MICHAEL MOORE

For years now, nearly every poll has shown that the American people are right in sync with the platform of the Democratic Party. They are pro-environment, pro-women's rights and pro-choice. They don't like war. They want the minimum wage raised, and they want a single-payer universal health-care system. The American public agrees with the Republican Party on only one major issue: They support the death penalty.

So you would think the Democrats would be cleaning up, election after election. Obviously not. The Democrats appear to be professional losers. They are so pathetic in their ability to win elections, they even lose when they win! So when you hear Democrats and liberals and supporters of Barack Obama say they are worried that John McCain has a good chance of winning, they ain't a-kidding. Who would know better than the very people who have handed the Republicans one election after another on a silver platter? Yes, be afraid, be very afraid.

In an effort to help the party doofuses and pundits — and the candidate himself — spare all of us another suicide-inducing election night, as the results giving the election to the Republican pour in, here is the blueprint from the Democrats' past losing campaigns. Just follow each of these steps and you, the Democratic Party establishment, can help elect John Sidney McCain III to a four-year extension of the Bush Era.

1. Keep saying nice things about McCain.
2. Pick a running mate who is a conservative white guy or a general or a Republican.
3. Keep writing speeches for Obama that make him sound like a hawk.
4. Forget that this was a historic year for women.
5. Show up to a gunfight with a peashooter.
6. Denounce me! (More Stuff...)

I've gotta agree. This will be another close election.

Obama Prayer

This made me smile...



I wish I knew the origin of the pic. I'd gotten this in an e-mail and it said nothing about where it came from.

Hillary Supporters? You Have My Blessing to Vote for McCain

I stumbled upon this article a few days ago and it left me wondering "Why?"


Obama and the Democrats Owe Hillary Clinton and Her Supporters a Formal Apology for the Campaign's Sexism

by Bonnie Erbe

Sen. Hillary Clinton may have come out full bore for the Barack Obama campaign on Saturday, but many of her supporters are having none of it.

Check out this CNN video on YouTube, which sums up the palpable anger many of her supporters feel. Another must-see Web stop is Ed Hale's site, hcsfjm.com. That is shorthand for Hillary Clinton Supporters for John McCain. Hale claims to have garnered 35,000 supporters within a week of launching the site.

The Democratic National Committee either doesn't get it or refuses to admit it. Nothing short of a lengthy, detailed mea culpa by the DNC and by Obama himself, directed to Clinton supporters for the sexist name-calling and personal, nasty characterizations Clinton was alone forced to endure, will do. Even that may not persuade these voters to consider supporting the party this fall. The DNC, Democratic Party leaders in Congress, and Obama should have been at her side, calling her treatment by the media (and even by some Obama supporters) unacceptable.

(More Stuff...)

I'm sorry but I don't understand how you can suggest that the Obama campaign and the Democratic Party owe Hillary an apology. On what grounds exactly? Your article failed to substantiate any claims of sexism on the part of Barack Obama, his campaign, and the Democratic party.

I also don't understand how sexism is to blame for Hillary's loss. Is Obama completely devoid of merit? Have the American people not spoken? Did Obama not run a better, cleaner campaign with stronger financial backing? Wasn't it Hillary who discredited the value of caucuses? Wasn't it Hillary who wanted to revise the party rules to her liking? Was Hillary not taken by surprise as she felt that she had this presidential bid in the bag due to her false sense of entitlement?

Hillary repeatedly race-baited and was divisive along class lines. Bubba was asked to stop attacking Obama. Hillary is a selfish, horrible liar. Hillary used right-wing, Rovian tactics and still lost. Hillary insulted the American people. For you to make Hillary out to be the victim is very telling of how much attention you paid to the presidential bid on both ends. And I don't believe that she and Chelsea weren't victims of sexism, but to suggest that Obama and the Democrats owe her an apology --- why? The Clintons constantly attacked Obama. Did you miss this gem? She should also apologize to the Kennedy clan while she's added. Perhaps you should direct your apology request to the likes of Chris Matthews.

The Clintons should also apologize to the Black community for taking our support for granted. Many in the community foolishly stood by her husband when the Monica Lewinsky scandal went down. So in return for the support, 1.) Trivialize Obama's South Carolina victories and compare it to that of Jesse Jackson's South Carolina victories in his previous bid, 2.) Trivialize the Civil Rights movement by only recognizing LBJ for signing the Civil Rights Act, and 3.) Align your campaign with Bob "Dirtbag" Johnson of the Blaxploitation Entertainment Network.

Hillary should also apologize to women for taking "testicular fortitude" as anything short of a sexist statement. She owes an even bigger apology to the working class community to whom she is hugely indebted.

If you're looking to support John McCain or stay home, do whatever makes you feel better. Shoot yourself in the foot cuz a vote for McCain is a vote against the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. A vote for McCain is a vote against the economy. A vote for McCain is a vote to prolong the quagmire in Iraq. A vote for McCain is a vote against a woman's reproductive rights.

So just to make sure we've got it all covered, McCain doesn't care about women, the troops, and is ignorant of the economy and he's your plan B out of spite? When you consider the aforementioned, who are you really hurting?

A Sign of Progressiveness [/Extreme Sarcasm]

*Sighs* I took the above pic at Astor Place on the 6 train line in liberal, progressive NYC. Whatever. There are neighborhoods that my Black ass wouldn't be caught dead in. The South isn't anymore racist than the North and I'm sick of the myth suggesting that the South is worse. The South has James Byrd, Jr. and The North has Sean Bell. No need to argue.

I was livid when I read that insult in the above pic. I felt very hurt. I felt insulted. I saw red. Like I haven't been this enraged in my life. The type of rage I had is the kind that you have after watching a marathon of Roots, Eyes on the Prize, and the Rodney King beating video. That's how pissed I was.

Racism always tests my rationale. Acts like this always leave me distrustful of White people. I know it's wrong. I know plenty of good White people. I should know better but. I know. But I can't help the thoughts that run through my mind when I'm angry. Who knows if the vandal is actually White though.

With all of this hatred leveled at Obama, I wonder "Why are White people scared of us?" "What warrants the hatred?" They make up over 75% of the country so what gives? Is there a fear of a revolution amongst Black people? I don't see that happening. A number of us Black folks are content with their byproducts of Americanism (e.g., HD TVs, iPods, auto financing), think racism is becoming a thing of the past, or are riddled with apathy. Then there's the number of us who know the obstacles that we face yet continue to persevere. I'm a member of the aforementioned group but still I wonder how that works. Like how mentally stable are we?

Does racism seem a tad bit overt now since Obama's campaign? How should one deal with racism? What say you?

Barack Obama Becomes the Democratic Nominee; Michelle's "Whitey" Tape

Obama Clinches Nomination, Capping Historic, Bitter Contest:
First African-American To Lead a Major Party Ticket; Clinton Refuses to Concede
By JACKIE CALMES

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Barack Obama captured enough convention delegates Tuesday to make a historic claim to the Democratic presidential nomination, the first African-American to earn a major party's nod.

The first-term Illinois senator defeated what had once been the most powerful machine in the party. His rival, Sen. Hillary Clinton, the former first lady who sought to be history's first female nominee, saluted him. But she did not concede, even as she signaled openness to being considered as his vice presidential running mate.

Sen. Clinton's refusal to drop out immediately came after her surprise win in South Dakota's primary Tuesday. That victory didn't change the dynamics of the race. But it underscored some of Sen. Obama's weaknesses, which were on display over the final month of the long campaign, when he suffered a string of landslide losses to his challenger.

Still, the nomination marked a remarkable accomplishment for the son of a Kenyan immigrant who spent part of his childhood in Hawaii and Indonesia.

"Tonight, I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for president of the United States of America," Sen. Obama told an estimated 32,000 people gathered in St. Paul, Minn., late Tuesday. (More Stuff...)

All I can say right now is that I'm very excited for him. I don't wanna get too excited because I can only imagine what the Republicans have in store for him. So far, there's this alleged tape out there of Michelle Obama sitting on a panel with Louis Farrakhan and tossing around epithets like "Whitey." If this has been around, then why hasn't it come out yet? I guess they're looking to ether Obama's campaign. We'll just wait and see.

Here's Obama's victory speech



UPDATE: Just wanted to add this pic



Now that's looove :-) H/T to Yaowwwwww!!! on that pic.

MUST-READ:
So Will the INFAMOUS Michelle Obama Tape Drop Today???

Sen. Byrd (D-WV) Has Caught That Obama Fever

Obama is killing it!!!

Sen. Robert Byrd endorses Obama

The Charleston Gazette reports an endorsement deep with symbolism: West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd is endorsing Barack Obama.

"Barack Obama is a noble-hearted patriot and humble Christian, and he has my full faith and support," Byrd says.

He said he has "no intention of involving myself in the Democratic campaign for President in the midst of West Virginia's primary election. But the stakes this November could not be higher."

Byrd, 91, a master of Senate rules and Iraq war foe, has spent much of his political career repenting the racism of his youth. He's acknolwedged having joined the Ku Klux Klan in 1942, and campaigned against civil rights legislation in the 1960s.

In The Audacity of Hope, Obama wrote of meeting Byrd, and their joint awareness of the past; his endorsement is a note of reconciliation that underscores Obama's message.

Obama wrote of meeting Byrd as new senator in one of his book's most compelling passages:

Listening to Senator Byrd I felt with full force all the essential contradictions of me in this new place, with its marble busts, its arcane traditions, its memories and its ghosts. I pondered the fact that, according to his own autobiography, Senator Byrd had received his first taste of leadership in his early twenties, as a member of the Raleigh County Ku Klux Klan, an association that he had long disavowed, an error he attributed—no doubt correctly—to the time and place in which he'd been raised, but which continued to surface as an issue throughout his career. I thought about how he had joined other giants of the Senate, like J. William Fulbright of Arkansas and Richard Russell of Georgia, in Southern resistance to civil rights legislation. I wondered if this would matter to the liberals who now lionized Senator Byrd for his principled opposition to the Iraq War resolution—the MoveOn.org crowd, the heirs of the political counterculture the senator had spent much of his career disdaining. (More Stuff...)

Note to Billary --- Throw. Up. The. Deuces.

The Stench of Desperation

Sidney Blumenthal Uses Former Right-Wing Foes To Attack Obama
by Peter Dreier

Former journalist Sidney Blumenthal has been widely credited with coining the term "vast right-wing conspiracy" used by Hillary Clinton in 1998 to describe the alliance of conservative media, think tanks, and political operatives that sought to destroy the Clinton White House where he worked as a high-level aide. A decade later, and now acting as a senior campaign advisor to Senator Clinton, Blumenthal is exploiting that same right-wing network to attack and discredit Barack Obama. And he's not hesitating to use the same sort of guilt-by-association tactics that have been the hallmark of the political right dating back to the McCarthy era.

Almost every day over the past six months, I have been the recipient of an email that attacks Obama's character, political views, electability, and real or manufactured associations. The original source of many of these hit pieces are virulent and sometimes extreme right-wing websites, bloggers, and publications. But they aren't being emailed out from some fringe right-wing group that somehow managed to get my email address. Instead, it is Sidney Blumenthal who, on a regular basis, methodically dispatches these email mudballs to an influential list of opinion shapers -- including journalists, former Clinton administration officials, academics, policy entrepreneurs, and think tankers -- in what is an obvious attempt to create an echo chamber that reverberates among talk shows, columnists, and Democratic Party funders and activists. One of the recipients of the Blumenthal email blast, himself a Clinton supporter, forwards the material to me and perhaps to others.

These attacks sent out by Blumenthal, long known for his fierce and combative loyalty to the Clintons, draw on a wide variety of sources to spread his Obama-bashing. Some of the pieces are culled from the mainstream media and include some reasoned swipes at Obama's policy and political positions.

But, rather remarkably for such a self-professed liberal operative like Blumenthal, a staggering number of the anti-Obama attacks he circulates derive from highly-ideological and militant right-wing sources such as the misnamed Accuracy in Media (AIM), The Weekly Standard, City Journal, The American Conservative, and The National Review.

To cite just one recent example, Blumenthal circulated an article taken from the fervently hard-right AIM website on February 18 entitled, "Obama's Communist Mentor" by Cliff Kincaid. Kincaid is a right-wing writer and activist, a longtime critic of the United Nations, whose group, America's Survival, has been funded by foundations controlled by conservative financier Richard Mellon Scaife, the same millionaire who helped fund attacks on the Clintons during their White House years. Scaife also funds AIM, the right-wing media "watchdog" group.

The Kincaid article that Blumenthal circulated sought to discredit Obama by linking him to an African-American poet and writer whom Obama knew while he was in high school in Hawaii. That writer, Frank Marshall Davis, was, Kincaid wrote, a member of the Communist Party. Supported by no tangible evidence, Kincaid claimed that Obama considered his relationship to Davis to be "almost like a son." In his memoir, Dreams from My Father, Obama wrote about meeting, during his teenage years, a writer named "Frank" who "had some modest notoriety once" and with whom he occasionally discussed poetry and politics. From this snippet, Kincaid weaves an incredulous tale that turns Davis into Obama's "mentor." More Stuff...

I'm disgusted but not surprised. If she miraculously becomes the nominee, she will not get my vote. Her behavior and tactics are devisive, fear-mongering, shameful, and overzealous. She reeks of desperation.

Now, why isn't the mainstream media covering this? Wouldn't this be more news-worthy than "What Will the Negroes Do If Obama Doesn't Get the Nod?" Wouldn't this be more news-worthy than obsessing over Rev. Wright? Of course not. Much is not to be expected from the mainstream media when they continue to give McCain a free ride.

When things like this fall below the mainstream media's radar, it's a reminder of why I rely on the blogosphere. Far too many trivial things are reported in the news and I can't tolerate it. There are significant stories that are reported but then obsession occurs (e.g., Rev. Wright). The mainstream media's obsession with Rev. Wright had me wondering at one point if he was a presidential candidate.

So, if you don't already know, venture into the blogosphere for raw, unsexy news stories. Feel free to peruse through my archives and blog rolls for some insightful commentary and thorough information. Today's popular TV and radio programs simply aren't reliable sources of information and intelligent discussion.

What If Hillary Loses? A Question for White Women

I was over at Concrete Loop reading "What Happens If Obama Loses?" and it brought up an article from the McClatchy Washington Bureau.

The third reader comment noted how annoying this question is, queried if the same question was raised about (White) women staying home if Hillary loses, and said that they wouldn't stay home. I'm gonna have to agree on this one.

I am pretty annoyed with this line of questioning. Is there a purpose for this article cuz I don't understand how the premise leans toward being informative. Why the interest in what a group of people would do if their chosen candidate loses the nomination? This article (one of far too many) seems to only be interested in influencing people. I really hate the interest in Black people because this same line of questioning can be raised for White women, White men, and etc.

What do you guys think? Considering the fact that White women are a significant voting bloc, why isn't the same question being asked of them if Hillary loses? Does either question annoy you? Is this topic even news-worthy?

Must-Read Links:
POLITICS: WHAT HAPPENS IF OBAMA LOSES?
Will black voters stay home if Obama loses nomination?

Obama Campaign Financed by KKK as per Snoop Dogg

What's he been lacing his weed with lately?

Snoop Dogg Criticizes Barack Obama

In a candid interview on Thursday with London newspaper The Guardian, Snoop Dogg commented on U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama, accusing him of receiving funding from historically anti-black organization the Ku Klux Klan.

"The KKK gave Obama money. They was one of his biggest supporters... The media won't tell you that. They don't want you to know that. They just want you to know that this nigger befriended this other nigger who be threatening your values. But we all know all presidents lie to get into fucking office. That's they fucking job."
According to a reporter for Gone Hollywood, Obama denied these allegations, saying that the rumors are "completely untrue."

Snoop is not the only Hip Hop figure that has openly expressed discontent towards the U.S. presidential candidate. In an interview with the Black Agenda Report, Russell Simmons accused Obama of being a "controlled politician."

"I think about one-fourth of his campaign contributions came from small donations made over the internet, even though he collected more than any other democratic candidate from Wall Street people. So at the end of the day, he's controlled, too. That's my point. He's a mouse, too, like everybody else," Simmons added.

Although Snoop has expressed his opposition towards Obama, he believes that he will become America's next president.

"In America's eyes, that muthafucker's gonna be president 'cause [John] McCain can't fuck with him. Hillary [Clinton] can't fuck with him. He's winning over white people, white ladies.”

Reported by Krysten Hughes.

Source

Ummm... Where's Snoop getting his info from? Why would the KKK back Obama when he's not a separatist? Would Obama even be electable if he were a separatist? Of course not.

So does this mean that Russell is renouncing his support for Obama? My heart would surely be broken if he did :-/

An Assessment of Obama and Hillary's Senate Records

I Refuse to Buy into the Obama Hype
by Grassroots Mom

The next President is going to have some MAJOR challenges.
I refuse to buy into the hype, on either side, but especially on that of Obama. However the "empty rhetoric" v. "history of accomplishments" arguments have prompted me to check it out on my own, not relying on any candidate's website, book, or worst of all supporters' diaries, like this one.

I went to the Library of Congress Website. The FACTS of what each did in the Senate last year sure surprised me. I'm sure they will surprise you, too. Whether you love or hate Hillary, you will be surprised. Whether you think Obama is the second coming of JFK or an inexperienced lightweight, you will surprised. Go check out the Library of Congress Website. After spending some time there, it will be clear that there is really only one candidate would is ready to be the next president, even better than Gore. If you don't want to spend an hour or two doing research, then I'll tell you what I discovered on the jump. More Stuff...

I came across this article last month but I forgot to post it. Then I had trouble finding it when I was ready to post it.

This article is an assessment of the senate records of both Hillary and Barack and I found it to be pretty thorough. If you're unsatisfied with this article, then please visit the Library of Congress' website for further info on both candidates. Let's not just be dismissive. It's important that you are INFORMED before deeming someting "useless."

Props to Grassroots Mom.

And let's be clear people: Obama's been a politician for a longer time (since 1997) than Billary (since 2000). Seems like the experience that people are judging him on have to do with how long he's been a legislator. If experience is your ultimate deciding factor, that's fine. But consider the length of experience of these politicians who voted in favor of the Iraq invasion, who voted in favor of the war on drugs, and who voted in favor of infringing upon our privacy.

Obama's Passport's Breached and Condi Apologizes; Former State Dept. Official Has Clinton Ties; Shame on Anderson Cooper

Why the curiosity? Trying to find some Muslim skeletons in his closet?

Rice to Obama: Sorry for Passport Breach
By DESMOND BUTLER

WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Friday apologized to Sen. Barack Obama for a security breach in which three State Department contractors inappropriately reviewed the Democratic presidential candidate's passport file.

The episode raised questions as to whether the actions of the three contractors, two of whom have been fired, were politically motivated.

"I told him that I was sorry, and I told him that I myself would be very disturbed," Rice told reporters.

"None of us wants to have a circumstance where any American's passport files are looked at in an unauthorized way," she said.

Rice, who spoke with Obama by phone, said she was particularly disappointed that senior officials at the State Department were not immediately notified.

"It was not to my knowledge, and we also want to take every step to make sure that this kind of thing doesn't happen again," she said.

The State Department's inspector general is investigating the passport breach, which occurred on three separate occasions — Jan. 9, Feb. 21 and as recently as last week, on March 14. On Friday, the department announced that the Justice Department would be monitoring the probe in case it needs to get involved. More Stuff...


Clinton friend may be involved in passport breach

A State Department official in charge of the department during two of the three breaches into the passport files of Sen. Barack Obama occurred has a direct tie to Bill and Hillary Clinton and department officials are investigating whether she furnished information to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.

Maura Harty was in charge of the Bureau Of Consular Affairs during the first two breaches of Obama's passport. Former President Bill Clinton appointed her to an ambassadorship during his Presidency. More Stuff...

Can't wait to see how Passport-Gate unfolds.


Note to Anderson Cooper:

Hey Mr. Cooper,

I'm really disappointed in you for suggesting that the Obama campaign would use this breached passport scandal to diminish the Rev. Wright media fixation. You started your sentence off with "I don't wanna sound cynical..." when you could've said "Some people would suggest..." It sounded as if YOU were suggesting that this would be some newfound cover for Rev. Wright media fixation and you also indirectly trivialized Obama's privacy being invaded three times out of "curiosity." You've gotta be more responsible as a reporter.

I still like and respect you (love your work on 60 Minutes and Oprah) but you've got one strike my dude.

Obama's Popularity Obsoletes Affirmative Action - WTF?!

Affirmative action foes point to Obama
Say candidate is proof effort no longer needed
By Joseph Williams and Matt Negrin

WASHINGTON - Leading opponents of affirmative action are increasingly seizing on Illinois Senator Barack Obama's historic run for the presidency as proof that race-based remedies for past discrimination are no longer necessary.

Influential Republicans and a growing number of policy specialists at conservative organizations, including the Goldwater Institute, Project 21, and the Manhattan Institute, are citing the fact that large numbers of white voters are supporting Obama, who leads in the race for Democratic delegates, as evidence that affirmative action has run its course.

Ward Connerly, a black conservative who is leading a national effort to ban racial preferences, vowed to use Obama's success as evidence for anti-affirmative action ballot initiatives his organization is promoting in five states. Connerly, who helped dismantle affirmative action policies in California universities and public hiring in the 1990s, said he has donated $500 to Obama's campaign.

"I've been saying for a number of years that the American people are not institutionally racist," and Obama's strong support among white voters proves it, said Connerly, founder of the American Civil Rights Institute, an organization that backs proposals to end affirmative action in Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. "It underscores my position . . . that affirmative action is an idea whose time has passed.

"The whole argument in favor of race preferences is that there is 'institutional racism' and 'institutional sexism' in American life, and you need affirmative action to level the playing field," he said. "How can you say there is institutional racism when people in Nebraska vote for a guy who is a self-identified black man?"

*Sighs* Please use more than one example to strengthen your argument. This is as bad as arguments that suggests that "it's better for Black people. Look at Oprah and all of these athletes." *Rolls eyes*

Obama's take on affirmative action:

Obama, who graduated from Columbia University and Harvard Law School, has said he is firmly behind efforts to expand diversity, particularly in higher education. However, he has implied that such programs should be reexamined, and perhaps be more closely tied to class instead of race.

Asked if his young children would be candidates for affirmative action when they reach college, Obama said their middle-class upbringing should disqualify them.

"I think that my daughters should probably be treated by any [college] admissions officer as folks who are pretty advantaged," Obama said in an interview with ABC News. "We should take into account white kids who have been disadvantaged and have grown up in poverty and shown themselves to have what it takes to succeed."

More stuff...

I don't know about all that. I knew these affirmative action antagonists would pop up and use Obama's electability for their reasoning.

"A More Perfect Union"

When I get a chance, I'll search for a video and post it. My wonderful job blocks YouTube :-/ so I can't do a search right now.

Update: Found a video.



Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
"A More Perfect Union"
Constitution Center
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

"We the people, in order to form a more perfect union."

Two hundred and twenty one years ago, in a hall that still stands across the street, a group of men gathered and, with these simple words, launched America's improbable experiment in democracy. Farmers and scholars; statesmen and patriots who had traveled across an ocean to escape tyranny and persecution finally made real their declaration of independence at a Philadelphia convention that lasted through the spring of 1787.

The document they produced was eventually signed but ultimately unfinished. It was stained by this nation's original sin of slavery, a question that divided the colonies and brought the convention to a stalemate until the founders chose to allow the slave trade to continue for at least twenty more years, and to leave any final resolution to future generations.

Of course, the answer to the slavery question was already embedded within our Constitution - a Constitution that had at is very core the ideal of equal citizenship under the law; a Constitution that promised its people liberty, and justice, and a union that could be and should be perfected over time.

And yet words on a parchment would not be enough to deliver slaves from bondage, or provide men and women of every color and creed their full rights and obligations as citizens of the United States. What would be needed were Americans in successive generations who were willing to do their part - through protests and struggle, on the streets and in the courts, through a civil war and civil disobedience and always at great risk - to narrow that gap between the promise of our ideals and the reality of their time.

This was one of the tasks we set forth at the beginning of this campaign - to continue the long march of those who came before us, a march for a more just, more equal, more free, more caring and more prosperous America. I chose to run for the presidency at this moment in history because I believe deeply that we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together - unless we perfect our union by understanding that we may have different stories, but we hold common hopes; that we may not look the same and we may not have come from the same place, but we all want to move in the same direction - towards a better future for of children and our grandchildren.

This belief comes from my unyielding faith in the decency and generosity of the American people. But it also comes from my own American story.

I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas. I was raised with the help of a white grandfather who survived a Depression to serve in Patton's Army during World War II and a white grandmother who worked on a bomber assembly line at Fort Leavenworth while he was overseas. I've gone to some of the best schools in America and lived in one of the world's poorest nations. I am married to a black American who carries within her the blood of slaves and slaveowners - an inheritance we pass on to our two precious daughters. I have brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles and cousins, of every race and every hue, scattered across three continents, and for as long as I live, I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible.

It's a story that hasn't made me the most conventional candidate. But it is a story that has seared into my genetic makeup the idea that this nation is more than the sum of its parts - that out of many, we are truly one.

More stuff...

Rev. Wright No Different From Rev. Schaeffer?

I'll just let Rev. Schaeffer's son tell it:

Obama's Minister Committed "Treason" But When My Father Said the Same Thing He Was a Republican Hero
by Frank Schaeffer

When Senator Obama's preacher thundered about racism and injustice Obama suffered smear-by-association. But when my late father -- Religious Right leader Francis Schaeffer -- denounced America and even called for the violent overthrow of the US government, he was invited to lunch with presidents Ford, Reagan and Bush, Sr.

Every Sunday thousands of right wing white preachers (following in my father's footsteps) rail against America's sins from tens of thousands of pulpits. They tell us that America is complicit in the "murder of the unborn," has become "Sodom" by coddling gays, and that our public schools are sinful places full of evolutionists and sex educators hell-bent on corrupting children. They say, as my dad often did, that we are, "under the judgment of God." They call America evil and warn of immanent destruction. By comparison Obama's minister's shouted "controversial" comments were mild. All he said was that God should damn America for our racism and violence and that no one had ever used the N-word about Hillary Clinton.

Dad and I were amongst the founders of the Religious right. In the 1970s and 1980s, while Dad and I crisscrossed America denouncing our nation's sins instead of getting in trouble we became darlings of the Republican Party. (This was while I was my father's sidekick before I dropped out of the evangelical movement altogether.) We were rewarded for our "stand" by people such as Congressman Jack Kemp, the Fords, Reagan and the Bush family. The top Republican leadership depended on preachers and agitators like us to energize their rank and file. No one called us un-American.

Consider a few passages from my father's immensely influential America-bashing book A Christian Manifesto. It sailed under the radar of the major media who, back when it was published in 1980, were not paying particular attention to best-selling religious books. Nevertheless it sold more than a million copies.

Here's Dad writing in his chapter on civil disobedience:

"If there is a legitimate reason for the use of force [against the US government]... then at a certain point force is justifiable. "

And this:

"In the United States the materialistic, humanistic world view is being taught exclusively in most state schools... There is an obvious parallel between this and the situation in Russia [the USSR]. And we really must not be blind to the fact that indeed in the public schools in the United States all religious influence is as forcibly forbidden as in the Soviet Union.... "

Source

Unlike Faux News, this article was fair and balanced. It took into account that there is a convenient amnesia behind the Rev. Wright backlash.

It has to be understood that people of color have a very unique experience in this country. No amount of legislative repair can translate into psychological repair. In order to have educated and fulfilling discussions about race relations, those in denial need to appreciate our history.

Gerry Ferraro Defends Herself and Diminishes the Black Female Experience a la Gloria Steinem

From Daily Breeze:

Ferraro defends controversial comments on Barack Obama
By Gene Maddaus

In a follow-up interview today, Ferraro said her company had been deluged with vicious e-mail messages accusing her of racism.

But far from backing off from her initial remark, Ferraro defended it and elaborated on it.

"Any time anybody does anything that in any way pulls this campaign down and says let's address reality and the problems we're facing in this world, you're accused of being racist, so you have to shut up," Ferraro said. "Racism works in two different directions. I really think they're attacking me because I'm white. How's that?"

This is foolishness. You discredit the value of Obama's potential and make him out to be some faulty affirmative action token candidate all the while being a token VP in '84? Obama's lucky to be Black yet why hadn't that "lucky to be Black" fortune rubbed off on previous Black presidential hopefuls Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and Carol Moseley-Braun?

Ferraro said she was simply stating an obvious truth, as seen in exit polls that show Obama taking as much as 80 percent of the black vote in the Democratic primaries.

"In all honesty, do you think that if he were a white male, there would be a reason for the black community to get excited for a historic first?" Ferraro said. "Am I pointing out something that doesn't exist?"

And (White) women aren't enraptured in Hillary's gender? So many White women are completely comfortable with voting for their vaginas and admitting to it. And Obama had more than his share of nay-sayers in the Black community before the Clintons threw Black people under the bus. Obama had to work for those votes because a lot of Black people were in love with the Clintons. It wasn't like Black people were saying "Let's give brothaman a chance."

Here are Gerry's remarks about Obama's campaign manager David Axelrod:

"He knows damn well that the best thing to do in a situation like this is to come back and hit with race," Ferraro said, adding that the response is a sign that the Obama campaign is "worried" about the first-term senator's lack of experience.

Hillary does not have a world of experience. Like I've said before, riding shotgun for years doesn't purport that you're a good driver. Hillary stayed with Bill and kept her married name for a reason.

Ferraro said she was not trying to diminish Obama's candidacy, and acknowledged up front that she would not have been the vice presidential nominee in 1984 if she had been a man.

The only sensible thing she's said so far.

But she also echoed remarks of feminist leaders like Gloria Steinem, who argued in the New York Times that Obama would not have succeeded if he were a woman because gender is "the most restricting force in American life."

"Sexism is a bigger problem," Ferraro argued. "It's OK to be sexist in some people's minds. It's not OK to be racist."

How would you know White woman? Step into a Black woman's shoes for one day and I might let you tell it. Gerry and Gloria are two foolish peas in a pod.

Obama to Be Featured on Q-Tip's Upcoming Album

This should be interesting.

Q-Tip Taps Barack Obama For Upcoming Album
written by Brandi Hopper

A Tribe Called Quest front man Q-Tip has reportedly enlisted presidential hopeful Barack Obama for his upcoming solo album, The Renaissance.

"I've got Norah Jones on there, but Barack is the big one," Tip told the New York Post's Page 6. "You'll see what happens, I can't reveal too much."

Along with Obama, who will be prominently featured on one song, Spike Lee will also make a political guest appearance on the album, set to drop this June.

The Renaissance will be the Queens rapper's first solo CD since 1999's Amplified. The artist's sophomore album, Kamaal The Abstract, was shelved after Q-Tip's label, Arista, considered the album too experimental. The album was supposed to come out in 2002.

In related Obama news, the Illinois Senator won the Wyoming caucus this weekend. Obama had 61 percent, or 5,378 votes, to contender Hillary Clinton's 38 percent, or 3,312 votes, according to the Associated Press. Obama won seven delegates and Clinton won five.

Source

Hillary's Delusions of Grandeur; Obama Sets Her Straight

Clintons push a Hillary/Obama ticket
By Thomas Ferraro

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hillary and Bill Clinton are again teaming up on Barack Obama -- this time saying the first-term U.S. lawmaker, whom they have derided as inexperienced, would be a strong running mate on a Democratic presidential ticket headed by the former first lady.

In hailing Obama as a possible vice president, the Clintons are reaching out to him and, perhaps more importantly, to his backers, whose support she would need to defeat Republican presidential candidate John McCain in the November election.

"The Clintons are in a difficult position," said Dennis Goldford, a political science professor at Drake University in Iowa, who has tracked the presidential race.

"If she wins the Democratic presidential nomination, she would need Obama's supporters. But she needs to be careful. If this talk of him on the ticket is seen as a cynical maneuver, it could backfire and hurt her," Goldford said.

Source


Obama Ridicules Notion of VP Slot
By CHARLES BABINGTON

COLUMBUS, Miss. (AP) — Democrat Barack Obama ridiculed the idea of being Hillary Rodham Clinton's running mate Monday, saying voters must choose between the two for the top spot on the fall ticket.

The Illinois senator used his first public appearance of the week to knock down the notion that he might accept the party's vice presidential nomination. He noted that he has won more states, votes and delegates than Clinton so far.

"I don't know how somebody who is in second place is offering the vice presidency to the person who is first place," Obama said, drawing cheers and a long standing ovation from about 1,700 people.

Saying he wanted to be "absolutely clear," he added: "I don't want anybody here thinking that somehow, 'Well, you know, maybe I can get both.' Don't think that way. You have to make a choice in this election."

"I am not running for vice president," Obama said. "I am running for president of the United States of America."

Later, The Associated Press asked Obama if he would "absolutely close out any possibility" of taking the ticket's second spot. He replied: "I am not running for vice president, and don't intend to be the vice president."

Source

As I've said before, those two running together as a dream ticket wouldn't be a good idea because they represent different aspects of politics. They do have similarities but Hillary comes off very old school and Obama's the new kid on the block running on change. I don't understand how Hillary can, with a straight face, suggest that Barack run as her VP when he's the frontrunner.

3 AM Girl Casey Knowles Endorses Obama